By Sunayna Navani:
Touching Lives is an initiative started by Dr. Sonia Mackwani. It started in 2003 and mostly caters to underprivileged kids. It provides them parallel education. TL’s vision and mission is ‘love’ and ‘humanity’ in your day to day walk of life. It means spreading love and touching lives, be it yours or that of others. TL is a project-based organization which believes in serving anybody and everybody. TL is divided into various zones of work as in, Education, Health, Entertainment, Administration, Networking etc., within which we carry out many projects. It is based in Borivali, Mumbai, and has partnered with other NGOs in Odisha and Bangalore.
Last year Touching Lives decided to make paper quilled products and sell it in corporate offices. We conducted sales in offices such as that of Rediff, Star, Star News, OMRA and 2-3 bank branches. In the upcoming Diwali season, we are moving a step forward to make the sale large and influential by organising a diya sale, to touch your lives, and that of many others who need it the most, with the aura of blissful lights. These earthen lamps will be hand painted, dried in sun and packed using raw materials; completely attached to the roots of India, and the purity of Diwali. The revenue generated through this sale will help TL with remuneration for teachers, arranging activities and resources.
The manufacturing process has begun. The lamps are brought from other underprivileged sellers, mostly from the road. In our first year they were painted by the volunteers of the NGO, and last year we got help from the kids as well. They were invited to get involved as a part of extracurricular activities, for about an hour after school. This year, TL wishes to involve their mothers as well.
To know more or to contribute, get in touch with us at sunayna.navani@gmail.com